


The Mermaid Experiment

by TheAzureFox



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Akira gets trapped in a research lab, F/M, Mermaids, also I get to talk about mythological creatures for a little bit, yay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-01-15 16:33:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12324750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAzureFox/pseuds/TheAzureFox
Summary: They caught one. They actually caught one.(mermaid AU)





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this a long time back and was originally going to post it when all "entries" were finished but I feel like this story will work better if I do it chapter by chapter. Also, college is killing me inside so I'll be posting the entries throughout the next few weeks while I write other things in the BG without pressure.
> 
> :'D

_Day One of the Mermaid Experiment_

They caught one, they actually caught one.

The lab is in a fuss right now, prepping up the aquarium while I’m left sitting pretty for the moment. All the lab assistants are earning their pay by shuffling around, cleaning the giant glass walls and scrubbing the giant glass floor. They filled up the aquarium with water, put sand on the bottom and rocks and various assortments of seaweed and plants, all for one little ol’ guest.

A mermaid.

Well, that’d be wrong. A mermaid is a creature that’s female human on the top and female fish on the bottom. This one…this one was a mer _man_ . I’d heard the legends of such a thing, heard the stories of the men who were mistaken for their lady brethren more often than not but…I’d never actually gotten to _see_ one before. Male _or_ female.

To say the least: if he were human, he’d be quite handsome. Ignoring his bottom half, he was a rather muscular thing. He wasn’t scrawny but he wasn’t going to be fighting in a wrestling ring anytime soon either. He was above average, I guess, but the other women on my shift seemed to deem him as eye-candy nonetheless.

And, I can’t blame them. Dark blue hair layered with teal…purple-silver eyes that caught your gaze and stole your breath…he was honestly quite the looker.  Even his tail mesmerized the crowd, with its unique cerulean colors that seemed to fluctuate with all the colors of the rainbow…my, whoever managed to capture such a find surely deserved a raise.

However, the one thing I have to complain about would be the gaudy shell necklace this merman wears. It’s a inadequate thing, not at all pretty or charming like the jewelry salvaged from old mermaid lairs, but it seemed the merman took a liking to it. He was always clutching onto the thing even when it seemed like he was panicking to escape from the aquarium, crashing into the glass walls and going berserk when he was unable to. The necklace seemed to be the only thing that soothed him though, as to why that it is, I am not sure.

Regardless, it looks like the heads of this place are going to try and take that necklace from him tomorrow. They’re fascinated as to why this creature is attached to such an ugly object. I can’t say I agree with their methods but, alas, it’s not my place to complain.

I’ll watch the display tomorrow, I’m sure it’ll be very interesting.

-Ema Bessho, age 26. Researcher of SOL's Private Mythological Sector.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I really love the idea of Mermaid!Akira. 
> 
> Ema's voice is weird to capture in an AU setting. Akira's is even weirder considering I have to use body language for him and imply things instead of outright suggesting them.


	2. Day Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ema learns that mermaids are dangerous.
> 
> (Warnings for: violence)

_ Day Two of the Mermaid Experiment _

He drowned him.

The merman  _ drowned  _ him.

I can’t even begin to properly transcribe my thoughts. This happened only a few minutes ago but I’m still shaking at the raw brutality of it all.

The heads went through with their plan, they gathered a bunch of schmucks looking for a raise and sent them in to retrieve the necklace from the merman. It’d gone down without a hitch...up to a certain point. 

One of these schmucks, an arrogant soul who boasted of his prowess, slipped into the tank with ease.

The merman kept his distance and it was almost like he was aware of what that bozo was going to do, I swear. Mermaids were not known for their intellect or their swimming capabilities – rather, they were mostly known for their vanity and the hoards of precious treasures they collected. So, it was almost unfathomable that what this creature did next was intentional by any means.

First, he swam up to the man. His face was curious but disgusted. It was a weird combination but it was oddly fitting. Next, he allowed the man to come close to him. The man was wearing a scuba suit to keep himself from sinking to the bottom of the aquarium floor, oblivious to it all as he reached for the prize: the merman’s necklace.

Should have known that was mistake #1.

The third thing the merman did was so fast that I think I still have trouble processing it all. It’s all a blur, a whirl of movements and actions but…in the end…the merman tore off the scuba suit from the man’s body, goggles and flippers and all. It all cascaded into shreds that bubbled to the surface, but it did little to lessen the effects of the merman’s power.

White claws laced with webbing grabbed at the man’s throat, choking him as bubbles erupted from his mouth. The merman showed no mercy to him, even drawing blood as the man struggled in his grasp, kicking at the creature with all his might. I might have actually thought that, at one point in time, the merman was even actually toying with him.

…Ugh, I feel sick writing all of this. Let me just say that, in the end, it was not a pretty sight.

The man – some dude named something, something - died. Drowned. His corpse had to be retrieved by one of these extended arm tools because no one else wanted to go back into the water. Can’t blame them, honestly. I’m with them. I’m never going in there, I swear. Not without protection.

-Ema Bessho, feeling a bit sick. Ugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't fuck with Mermaid!Akira. Just don't.


	3. Day Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ema gets screwed over.

_Day Three of the Mermaid Experiment_

The higher-ups are not pleased with this outcome. I’m not sure what they’re thinking, but it seems they are now toying with the idea of electrocuting the poor sucker. Of course, doing that would probably harm the specimen and, as all of us research assistants were aware, that was a very, very bad idea.

Catching a mermaid was like catching the lucky lottery ticket – the chance’s were so rare that having one in your possession was like earning yourself the once-in-a-lifetime guarantee of being rich for life. Of course, why my supervisors didn’t just immediately sell off this merman on the black market is a mystery to me. It’d certainly boost my salary if they did. Or, at least, I would hope so. I mean, if you've got gazillions and gazillions of yen on your hands wouldn't you consider paying your oh-so-useful employees a eensy teensy little bit more?

...Regardless, it seems the number of people willing to watch over the merman has gone down quite tremendously. And, by tremendously, I mean everyone but _me_.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why you, Ema? Why are you the lucky ( _poor and unfortunate_ ) soul who gets to claim the prize of watching over the merman?

Well, apparently, because I got the short end of the straw.

My coworkers had conspired from the moment they saw the merman drown that bozo that they’d leave me hanging. They immediately pitched their service capabilities to other jobs that didn’t involve a man-drowning monster – even allowing themselves to be demoted if it meant they could avoid working with said creature. Alas, as I am the natural outcast and the one everyone could care less about, I’m the one who gets stuck watching over him and cleaning out the tanks.

You see, even though it’s highly probable that this thing’s going to turn on me and drown me the moment I step into the water, my supervisors still want his aquarium nice and pretty.

“We don’t want him to become sick and die in that container,” was their pitiful excuse.

Right. Everyone knew mermaids were immortal. One little merman in a contaminated glass box wasn’t going to kill him so easily. Thankfully, however, this won't be an everyday chore. It’s a weekly one and, as it is now, I’m free until Saturday.

...In other words, I get three more days to live.

Wish me luck.

        -Ema Bessho, certified to die before she can even pay off her house mortgage >:O


	4. Day Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ema worries.

_ Day Four of the Mermaid Experiment _

Well, while I’m waiting for doom and gloom, I’ve also been put in charge of keeping watch over the tank. It’s not a glorious job, rather boring, but I’m the only one “suitable enough” for it.  

 _Bullcrap_. My superiors just can’t be bothered to find someone else more tolerant enough for this shit than me. Naturally, I wouldn’t agree to such requests but because they’ve offered me such a _nice_ _bonus_ for doing these chores, I’ve reluctantly found myself in no position to disagree.

The merman doesn’t seem to notice me anyways. And, oh, sure, he’ll pause in his little swimming maneuvers to glance over at me now and then but, in the end, he’ll always lose interest. It’s just how it is and I’d much prefer it that way. I can’t imagine how I would feel if he suddenly took an interest in me.

How would a merman even show his interest in a human, anyways? I’d heard the rumors, but I’ve never been quite sure about their relation to us. Supposedly, they were very vain and kidnapped us humans just to hear flattery from us. Others said that we were to be made into their pets – servants, if you will. Then, there were the stories suggested that, to them, we were like little dolls that were went to be played around with before we were quickly tossed away like an old children’s toy.

Personally, after seeing the attack two days ago, I’m vouching for the latter.

Still, even knowing what this thing was capable of, I can’t help but picture him as a giant blue goldfish. It’s weird and all and I know my brain is strange but the way he swims around and around in constant agony reminds me of my own pet fish back when I used to own pets. They would always circle around their tank, bored and frustrated with the lack of space provided and, to some end, I think that behavior was mimicked in this merman. He always seemed aggravated, annoyed, and had a tendency to ram into the side of the glass when his irritation reached its peak.

“Oi,” I remember saying when my amusement at such displays had reached their limit. I’d put the magazine I was reading down on my lap, frustrated at the creature. “Can you try not to do that all the time? You’ll hurt yourself.”

And, I remember.

I remember the way the merman had paused, remembered the way he’d twisted around to look at me, the fins that replaced his human ears extending out in curiosity. He’d floated in my direction, came as close to me as the glass would let him, purple-silver eyes glinting. He was watching me, waiting, human lips pulled up into the beginnings of a smile.

I had to excuse myself shortly after.

-Ema Bessho, feeling even more worried for her inevitable death sentence in two days time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I had plans to release a speculative one-shot fic instead of this one for this week but eeeeh I still need to work on it + I wanna see how episode 25 goes first so I know whether or not it's up to par with canon (or, at least, on or not on par with how Ema and Aoi see each other). Maybe next week, then?
> 
> Ah, and also, if you're wondering where the mythical creatures mentioned in the tag comes in...next chapter :D


	5. Day Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ema loathes being ignored.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's so many fanfictions I need to catch up on...

_Day Five of the Mermaid Experiment_

Since that “incident” has occurred, the merman has refused to look at me. It’s not like he’s paid any attention to me beforehand – merely casual curious glances here and there before he swam away – but this time it’s to the point of _obvious_ ignorance.

I do not like being ignored.

And, yeah, that might sound selfish of me. I’m well aware. Don’t go off on a tangent about it either - I can already tell what you’re thinking. “Oh _, boo-hoo_ , you’re ignored, whine, whine, _whine_ ”. I’ve gotten the spiel before, gotten the looks of disgust when I try and address the issue. Words never work. Words are just things that we utter from our lips, pleas of sympathy that go unheard more often than not. That’s why I’ve given up on forcing my way through talking.

You see, I’m a very beautiful person. And, I know this. I have gorgeous pink hair (I love my hair, honestly, even if it’s a _bitch_ to comb because of how long it is), beautiful pink eyes, and red cherry lips that would be anyone’s delight to kiss. Don’t think I’m lying – I see the way people in the outside world look at me, see the way they stare with hearts in their eyes and a need to impress. My beauty is probably what’s landed me my job as an employee of the most private research lab in all of Den City. Or, well, that’s what I’d like to suggest but I’m very well aware my beauty is _not_ the reason for why I’m working in such a private section of the labs.

…You see, my ears are…well… _unnatural._ Elf ears, so to speak. Can’t say I know where I got them from – I was orphaned.

_Orphaned._

Ahh, such a lovely word and quite a shameful thing to have happened to _me_ , of all people, too! My _parents_ didn’t want _me_ and I, naturally, don’t want _them_. Bunch of losers, really, to toss away one so pretty like me :D

Anyways, because of my strange ears, a certain researcher took an interest in me. Namely, the head honcho of these secret labs. He made me an offer I could never refuse: a full-time employment job in a place full of enigmatic creatures.

Naturally, the deal was sealed the moment I heard of such prospects. If there’s two things I love in life it’s money and enigmatic _anythings_. Nothing could have kept me from penning my name down and signing up for the job.

And, it wasn’t a mistake.

I’ve seen many things in my time. I’ve seen lovely red phoenixes who’ve been captured and reborn in the same cage throughout years and years of experimentation. I’ve seen unicorns (yes, unicorns. The kind that will kill you with their horn though, not the sparkly interpretations everyone is all used to) who challenge my vanity every day with their own. I’ve seen wendigos and cyclopes and kitsunes and almost all the mythical creatures in existence except, of course, for mermaids.

Now, however, I could see one with my very own eyes…

And, it was _ignoring me_.

You have to understand – just as humans are fascinated by mythical creatures, so too are they to us. We’re naturally inclined to think of one another as intelligent species and marvel at the other’s capabilities. It’s kind of a mutual respect situation…if not for the obvious fact we cage ‘em up and lock ‘em away in labs for the rest of their immortal years until someone either kills them or sets them loose.

Not a happy thought when they get loose but it happens.

Regardless, having watched this merman turn it’s back on me like I was the least interesting thing in the room (and you’re talking about a room that’s literally made of nothing but an aquarium, a bench, and a cube-shaped room of nothing but _white paint_ ) is like realizing you _are_ the least important thing in the world.

And, nothing aggravates me more than being thought of as the least important person in the world.

So, naturally, what do I do?

I start off small. Plan #1: Approach the tank and attempt to make contact. So, I do, walking up to the giant glass structure and making flippant gestures at the creature.

These gestures may or may not have also included me flipping the middle finger with a smile on my face.

Didn’t work though. Thing continued to swim happily in it’s own little world, observing every single spot in the room except for where I stood.

Plan #2: Bang on the glass.

Normally, fish don’t like it when you bang on the glass of their tank. It spooks them, makes them frightened. I had hoped this merman would act the same way when I slammed two fists on the glass.

Nope, nada. Didn’t even flinch.

The bastard.

Plan #3: Attract it’s vanity with jewelry.

My supervisors already were well aware of my antics. The security cameras that look over us are always watching, always waiting. After all, they never knew when that lovely employee with the handsome looks was secretly an incubus in disguise who came to pick up his incubus father. _That_ was an event that went down all-too-famously as the best thing to have ever happened on lab property.

But, back to my employers. They were rational people, I knew, and I expected no less from them than a rational (and rather puzzled) answer:

“You want to borrow jewelry…to make this merman _notice_ you…?”

Honestly, their skepticism was a little reassuring. Having your bosses cater to your every demand would have been more suspicious than it would have been relieving.

I had crossed my legs over and flashed an alluring smile with just the slightest tilt of my head.

“What can I say?” I’d told them, watching as their eyes flicked amongst themselves, “I hate to be ignored.”

That reasoning was half-assed at best but I _was_ one of their “special employees” and, thus, I got to get certain forms of special treatment.

Namely, I got a whole box of jewelry worth _fortunes_ in my hands. If I hadn’t been so focused on the task at hand, I might have pondered stopping my schemes in order to pawn off all the jewelry for some delicious, delicious cash. However, if there’s one thing that comes before money, it’s my pride as a beacon of beauty.

I approached the mermaid’s tank, ascending a ladder to reach the rim. A surface of blue awaited me, an endless expanse of storm gray with a kelp forest and dark gray sand deep below. I was half tempted to sit on the edge of the aquarium, to dangle my legs into the water and tease the merman’s attention that way, but I restrained myself, thankfully. Had I done so, I’m not sure what would have happened. I might have drowned, I might have not. Depends on how fast I would have been, I guess.

Anyways, the mermaid didn’t react when I climbed to the top of the aquarium. He’d been lazily swimming it circles, almost pacing around as if to clear his mind. I picked up my first piece of jewelry – a golden necklace adorned with rubies that was almost too precious to spare – and let it drop into the wall. It hit the glass and, instantly, the merman spun around to face it.

His face had instantly screwed up in alarm, eyes wide and fin ears extended outwards with distant interest. He’d swum to the necklace, picking it up with webbed hands and appreciating it with distant unease. The merman had looked around, peering outside the aquarium walls but acting surprised when he saw no one was present.

I dropped down a sapphire bracelet next. It hit him on the head and, instantly, he pinpointed the cause of such occurrences. His gaze, which had previously searched _around_ him now looked _up_ to see me smiling innocently _down_ at him.

It was rather satisfying to see the look of irritation on his face as he pulled the bracelet off his head and let it settle down to the bottom of the tank.

However, I hadn’t braced myself for his reaction.

Like a rocket, he shot to the surface of the tank, emerging his head above water for the first time since I’ve seen him here. It was rather startling, honestly. Purple-silver eyes had fixated on me, emotionless and unintelligible as to what he was thinking. He floated there, staring at me and I, like an idiot, stared back.

“Hello?” I remember asking him.

If he’d heard or understood me, he hadn’t reacted. He remained there, hovering in place as a silver ring sat rolling in-between my fingers. Then, as if he had grown tired of my silence he began to turn around and dive back into the confines of his tank.

But, not before he splashed me with water with a flick of his tail.

 _Asshole_.

        -Ema Bessho, simultaneously celebrating her success and plotting her petty revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still working on the sideline Ema/Akira work. It's at 20 pages now...and the end is not in sight....
> 
> :'D
> 
> On another note, Ema really, really hates being ignored. As Ghost Girl, she seems to want to attract strangers to her and make them captivated by her beauty so I feel it's only a slight bit of a stretch to make her loathe being ignored by others here. With Aoi in ep 25, Ema went so far as to reveal her coveted second identity in order to gain Aoi's attention (and trust) so that the girl would talk to her but since Ema understands Aoi I feel like she's less offended if she's, say, ignored by Aoi than if she's ignored by a stranger.
> 
> ...I hope that makes sense but I'm tired so I'll correct it if need be but I've gotta go to sleep first.


	6. Days Six and Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ema tries not to die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad for only posting the day 6 entry bc cliffhangers so have day 6 and day 7 together. You're welcome :D

_ Day Six of the Mermaid Experiment _

Well, today’s the day I die.

My coworkers have all wished me luck – my employers have given me their good graces which I’m sure I’ll take to heaven with me.

Here I stand, on the edge of the aquarium, wearing a swimming suit and a scrubbing mop of some sort which will do most of the manual cleaning for me. The merman’s taken notice of my presence, glancing at me as I brace myself.

_ I’m not shaking, I’m not. I’ll be fine _ , I tell myself.  _ Just avoid him, don’t provoke him _ . Mermaids are dangerous creatures, as the last man well-learned. 

And, it’s not like I could sedate it like I could a wendigo or phoenix.

No, my bosses are insisting I go in without protection. “Be sure not to harm the merman,” they tell me, eager to keep their prize as happy as possible. “Else, we’ll have to deduct from your pay.”

…Wow. Threatening me with losing out on money. Good job. Well-played. Not like I’m going to survive long enough to see my earnings be reduced.

Well, while I’m down there, might as well search for the necklace and the bracelet I’ve let sit somewhere down in that tank. It’ll give me something to think about while my doomsday guest ponders how to go about my demise.

-Ema Bessho. RIP me and all my hopes of a house paid off and a motorcycle to call my own.

~~~

_ Day Seven of the Mermaid Experiment _

I survived! 

Somehow!

Honestly, it’s such a relief. I kept my distance from the merman and so did he from me. It’s like he knew I didn’t want to bother him and that I knew he didn’t want me to bother him either. A mutual agreement, if you will. It made my life so much easier, and I managed to get in and get out without dying in the process…yay!

Didn’t find the necklace or the bracelet though. I searched all over for those bastards but couldn’t find hide nor hair of them. Guess that means I’m going to have to pay back my employers for their price.

_ Yowch _ . My poor wallet.

Regardless, it looks like my little spelunk has earned my bosses’ praise. I think they’re considering making me in charge of the merman simply because I  didn’t die.

Yaaaaaaaay.

I feel like I’m going to regret this, honestly.

-Ema Bessho, thanking the heavens that she’s managed to live for another day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> College finals next week for business and biology...Yay....Wish me luck.


End file.
